A Summer Not Spent Alone
by TabbyMin
Summary: One of my first fics, The trio and a few others spend a summer together when Hermoine's parents die suddenly.
1. Fond Memories

Author's Note:

Yes, I know that this chapter is the same as the other story, but I had a little cough trouble starting out. Plz R&R

Fond Memories-

Minerva is sitting at her desk, slowly, gracefully writing in her red journal, the one with the Griffindor seal upon the cover. It had been a gift to her, from her father when she was little. With the snow out side, she has nothing to do, yet.

_Dear one who only knows secrets,_

_I can truly say I have not lived my life fully. I can see the snow on the castle's grounds melting away into spring, like the life I have lived turning to sorrow instead of joy. The students should be arriving soon, back from their holidays, as I have none. Every second I spend looking at him is a second not wasted on the day's duties and consent seconds of grading the transformation of a cup into a bird or a coin into a pin. Accurately, I can remember the day Severus confessed his eternal love for me. What a fool he was, and is. Laughing, I can truly say, I just wasn't his type. But after sixty years, give or take a few, pure torture is enough. Only the greatest wizard in our time is the one man who will ever hold my heart...My father had always loved me. Even after death I loved him. He with his Scottish accent, much like I have... when I am alone. I have shone no one my true feelings. How I deeply loved my father, and how I truly love one other man, but only one other._

_This weather reminds me of the one I love. Warm winter fires on cold nights, and the white, white oh the whites of the hills in snow. The luscious wet fluffy snow that every winter envelops this land on which I live day in and day out. This land on which I work, the land on which I teach, the land on which I love. Our people, the magical kind, have always known about the witchcraft that goes on around here. The spells, the potions, the unusual things of the whole lot. The mess we teachers get ourselves into each and every year._

_With the newest bunch, the Trio, as they are now called,- they give us so much paperwork. I love my little lions so much though. I could never speak ill of them, never. Harry is true to Gryffindor, as he is the bravest of his kind. Hermione is the wittiest of her day, a Ravenclaw almost, but as solid as rock, another lion accurately put into my house. Ron, another Weasley but always could play a great chess match. How I miss my youth..._

_

* * *

_   
The woman stopped to catch her breath for only a moment when she noticed a student, Hermione Granger, who obviously had been standing there for the longest time. Minerva was practically stunned. She hoped the young girl hadn't been reading what she had written, but she had. 

"I-um..."

"Please Miss Granger, what might I help you with that is so important that you had to come all the way into my personal office?" With a hint of frustration, Minerva closed the book.

"I wanted to see you before I left for the Christmas holidays."

"Of course." She smiled slightly before allowing her to come behind her desk. A small hug made the older woman cry. To Hermione, she had never seen the professor even give the simplest expression and now crying; she was astonished.

"I'm sorry professor." Hermione said crying herself, "My-I got a letter today. M-My p-parents, their...dead." A now sobbing child wept upon her dear loving Transfiguration teacher.

"Hermione, I don't know what to do. Do you have anyone to go to? Anyone at all?"

Stated simply, "No." was the answer.

"Where would you like to stay? I'm sure we can arrange for you to be with Mr. Weasley, his parents are quite nice, and you could..." Minerva stopped her inquisition. Hermione was obviously staring into space and not paying attention to what her teacher had suggested.

"What do you want to do?" Minerva asked.

* * *

A day later, Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room awaiting instructions from the headmaster, the one and only Albus Dumbuldore. As she waited, the young girl began to cry. Slowly at first, then massive tears came rolling down her cheeks. No Gryffindor had been left in the common room, no one, but her. A few moments later she wiped her eyes clean off the sadness left behind. Hermione sat, starring out of the gigantic window, looking at the castle grounds. 

'_This, will be my last time to see the lake, to see the clouds hovering above, to see, to see everything. With my parents' death, I won't be able to come home, here, to this place where I belong. I-I won't be able to come here, again.'_

She broke into quiet sobs, leaving the sorrow to take full effect. Someone standing behind her put his or her arms around the poor girl. Comforting, loving, arms indeed.

"Shhh, lassie, I am here now." An older woman quietly spoke with reassuring words in a very Scottish accent. They sat down, holding each other in an unbreakable bond like a mother and daughter.


	2. An Endless Meeting

Chapter Two-

An Endless Meeting-

The next morning when Hermione woke, Minerva sat sleeping beside her bed in a chair. It was a peaceful morning, just like any other day at Hogwarts. A ray of sun shone into the darkened room and brought forth light to what seemed like eternal darkness. Though happy to see her stern Transfigurations teach, Hermione wondered if she had been the one who had comforted her last night.

'_Had she stayed up all night? I wonder if I should wake her. She is so serene. My parents. Oh no, there, they're d-dead. I-I can't, I can't stay here any more. What will happen to me now?'_ Hermione started to gently cry but before she could let out her first tear, Minerva woke up and uncrossed her folded arms.

" Hermione, I, um, we better see Albus to get you settled in at your new…residence. I believe the teachers were going to begin at… oh, right now."

"Begin what, Professor?"

"They're going to decide who will keep you over the summer. Albus doesn't want you to stay with Harry for obvious reasons, and he didn't want to intrude on the Weasleys either. You do understand his reasons, right? He only wants what's best for you."

"I know Professor, but who will take me? One of the teachers?"

"Undoubtedly."

'_I hope it isn't Snape.' _Hermione thought.

When they arrived at the office, the meeting had already begun. Moody, Lupin, Tonks, Hagrid, Professor Sprout, Professor Snape, Madame Pompfrey, and all of the other teachers sat in a semi-circle.

"Ahh. I see you have arrived. Professor, Hermione. Now if you can not, for any reason, take care of Hermione, please stand."

Madame Pompfrey, Professor Sprout and Snape all stood.

"Dumbledore, I can't. I stay at Hogwarts year round. Hermione wouldn't be taken care of at all. I have too much work to do." Professor Sprout stated.

"I can say the same." Madame Pompfrey said.

"I WON'T take a Gryffindor." Snape clearly spoke.

"Well, then, that takes care of you three. You may leave." Dumbledore softly spoke.

One by one they gave their reasons. Hagrid gave a little resistance to the argument, but gave in. Tonks couldn't because she was always busy. The same for Moody. Lupin had too much, werewolf things to do. That left only Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore.

"Hermione, do you have your things packed?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can you get them without any help or do you need Minerva's assist?"

"I can get on my on, Professor."

"Then please do so now."

After Hermione left, the remaining couple embraced. Minerva's right arm went under his and around his shoulder. Her hand to his chest. Albus removed the pins that were in her hair and with that, the luscious locks cascaded down her back. She was facing towards the window with her head on his shoulder. He was playing with a few strands of Minerva's hair when the door creaked open revealing a suspicious young girl.

"Uh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you had someone else in here. Before I leave, where is Professor McGonagall?"

Albus slowly took out his wand and pointed it at Minerva's hair. A few seconds later it was in her usual bun. The two let go of one another and stepped away. Hermione gave a shocked reply, "I-I um…."

"Lets go, Hermione. I think it would be best if you didn't tell anyone about… what you saw."

"Will we be going to your house, Professor?"

"Yes. To the McGonagall estate."


	3. Home of the Notorious Troublemaker

Chapter Three-

Home of the Notorious Troublemaker

Professor McGonagall stepped inside the old Scottish house. The witch looked around the first floor of the home, at the tall ceiling, at the small living room, and at the pictures upon the walls. She sat her bags down, took Hermione's, and the bags disappeared. She began to speak, but Hermione was no longer listening to the older witch's instructions and endless comments of do's and don'ts. Instead she was lost in a silent reverie about all the things that took place here.

_'Why don't we have Order meetings here? It is probably more protected than the current location. Harry would be pleased that they wouldn't have to use his godfather's house. Why doesn't she talk about her family? Look at this house! It's huge! And the pictures. They move too! She was beautiful. Is this her son? No. **It's Professor Dumbledore!**' _

'Miss Granger, I'll have dinner ready in a few minutes. Miss Granger? Miss Granger!'

'Oh, Professor. I-I didn't see you there. Um, is this Professor Dumbledore?'

'Yes, Yes it is. He is about thirty in that picture, then in this one, when I first met him, he was…oh…eighty.'

'Eighty! Professor, that would make you…'

'Yes,' she laughs at the girl's remark, not knowing her true age, 'I'm almost Seventy-six.'

The girls went to the kitchen, hoping to eat. Professor McGonagall had made a feast full of turkey, hot off the oven's burner, honey baked roast, steaming hot ham, all kinds of fish, dressing filled with thousands of fresh herbs you could smell for miles, cranberry sauce overflowing with unsullied juices for tasting, English green beans, mashed potatoes, and so much more that crammed the house full with sweet smelling food and deserts fit for kings.

'The taties and nips are my great-grandmother's recipe she used every time we had a family gathering, which meant, every night she came. Oh dear lassie, you don't know what taties and nips are? Why, they're a Scottish way of just saying potatoes and turnips. Their quite good and they won't bite you now. Do try some lassie, my girl.'

'Professor, I um, well, do you think we could talk, about-things.'

'Well, Miss Granger, what do you think that we are doing now, then eh?'

'About other things than food, Professor, though it is an interesting topic.' She added quickly with a smile.

'How did you like your OWLS, then Miss Granger?'

'Professor, it's Hermione, and I loved them. The whole feeling of taking tests and the excitement of doing it, then you get your scores back and…well, you know what I mean Professor.'

'No I don't…Hermione. You did exceptionally well on ALL of your OWLS. By the way, if you get the pleasure of hearing your first name,' she sighed reluctantly, 'you might as well use mine.'

They finished eating dinner then retired to the living room for tea and biscuits. After a while, they settled down and began to talk. First, the obvious subject of school was at hand with questions of Hermione's ambitions and Minerva's teaching, which Minerva sternly took the younger witch's advise. The next questions were of the Order and of Harry. It was decided that they would visit Harry later that week and invite him to stay with the two witches. Ron would be visited a day after they got Harry, and then Ron would come with Ginny to the Estate. It was settled. At least for a time. Minerva then

brought up the question of whom Hermione liked…

'Um, Min…I…Oh-Harry.'

'Harry? As in the Harry who is my grandson or the Harry who is the boy who lived? Or are they the same…'

'WHAT!'

'Just joshin' you.'

'Well…yes. Min? What is the worst thing you did in school?'

'Worst thing? Hummm… I… well, quite frankly I can't tell you because there is too many _things _to count. Especially that I did.'

'…What _did _you do?'

'Full version or long?' Hermione glared.

'OH alright. Let's see: flooded the bathrooms, turned the Potions teacher into a pig, put a toad in the Herbology teacher's desk, mixed up the potions in the Potions Professor's cabinet, made the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher write on the chalk board that she had an affair with the Headmaster, which she really did, glued the Charms teacher to her chair, killed Binns, kissed the Transfigurations teacher-'

'You –killed- Professor Binns?'

'Yes, Mara, Mona, and I snuck up behind him and gave the poor man a heart attack. Poor man. You should of seen the face he gave me when I came for my present position. You'd think he'd of did all over again.'

'and you kissed the Transfiguration teacher?'

'Well, more than that actually, but…we won't go there.'

'WHO WERE YOU TEACHERS?'

'Why, the Herbology teacher was Professor Dina, Potions was…Smith, Charms was Tilly Rena, and the Transfigurations teacher I replaced is the current Headmaster.'

'You kissed Professor Dumbledore?'

'As I said before, kissed and more, Hermione. I had a record of being bad. Until the Weasly Twins beat me this year.'

* * *

Note: Tatties and Nips are actually English, But I decided…ok it fit. 

Please Review


	4. A Time for Care

Chapter Four-

A Time for Care-

_Dear one who only knows secrets,_

_It seems as if another day in my life has gone by. Though I cannot change his mind, Albus has once again denied me the chance to pick up Harry. I hope that with Hermione, he will allow me to do so, but, so far he has not. Albus is coming in tonight from his trip to the Ministry at 6o'clock for dinner. By then I would like to get to know Hermione more. She is such a sweet and pleasant child. If I had a lass, well, she's just too lovable. Wouldn't it be amazing if I could adopt her? But, I'm sure she would not want me for an adopted mother. Perhaps Molly is a better choice. Ah, but isn't she dating Ron? No, she said she liked Harry and I can't agree with her more. I have to go now to see if the eggs for breakfast are done. Hermione isn't awake let so I'll let her sleep._

_-Minerva_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Minerva McGonagall set her book on the wooden coffee table next to her. She sat in a high backed red velvet chair in front of the fireplace which had the ashes in it from the night before. As she stood, she dusted her tight blue jeans and the fitted white long-sleeved tee she wore. The window to the right had a window seat for two and was cornered in three pieces. Outside, the trees swayed and moaned in the gentle breeze that blew by.

The stairs that spiraled down from the bedroom were black and metal twisted with designs and patterns. Tapestries along the walls were littered with the tales and history of Scotland. As she left one room, her feet lead her to another.

By the smell of it, breakfast was, in fact, done. The eggs Minerva had mentioned in her journal looked as if they were from a story book or a fairy tale. She flipped them over once before turning the stove off and putting them on to two plates.

Minerva went back upstairs to see if Hermione was awake but when she got to the door, she heard the girl crying. The wooden door was opened and looking down at the sleeping child she sat on the edge of the bed. Minerva wiped away the tears with her thumb and brushed away the mangled hair from the girl's face. With that, Hermione awoke and looked up at her angel. Minerva smiled down at her with understanding. Hermione quickly hugged the older witch and clung on with all her might, crying and sobbing. The Transfigurations mistress returned the hug and tried to soothe the lass. She ran her hand in comforting circles around her back while holding the young girl's head in the other hand. With all her pain and grief, Hermione sobered up and calmed down.

'I've never cried this much before.' She told the woman.

'I know. It's hard to get over something like this. You've been with them most of your life and have known them equally as long.'

'Why? Why did it have to be them? Of all the people in the world – them!' Hermione answered back.

'I know how you feel Hermione. I do, really I do.'

'Tell me. Please.' The younger witch urged.

'Alright, when the war with Grindelwald was at large, I was a student at Hogwarts myself, over fifty years ago. The families of the students would pull them out of the school so they would be safe, or so they thought. When Grindelwald learned of this, he began to attack the homes of those supporting the side of light, killing everyone in the house. The families that didn't take their children out would be killed as well.

Every day in the Great Hall, ten or twelve black owls would come into the hall, dropping letters off to those who were left behind. It was not only the students, but the teachers too. One of the professors would get a letter and end up crying on another professor's shoulder. The whole hall was silent when the owls came. Everyone had a sense of… everyone had a sense of emptiness. We were all, numb with disbelief.

There wasn't a single person who didn't get a letter, except for those who were already orphaned. The day I got mine, was my sixteenth birthday. I don't ever remember celebrating. About eleven people in my clan had died including my parents and my younger siblings. I remember just sitting there with the letter in my hand when a package flew in for me. It was my birthday present from my family; a picture of all of them together and an amulet that my sisters and brothers bought at a store that summer. The amulet is the brooch I were everyday at school. It's one of the few things that I have of them.' Minerva ended.

'I'm sorry Minerva. I didn't know.' Hermione spoke up after getting her voice back.

'No No, it's quite alright, dear. Life is for the living after all. Come, lets talk over breakfast.'


	5. Decisions

Chapter Five-

Decisions- and this is a short chapter!

Hermione and Minerva sat down for breakfast in the kitchen. Hermione struck up the conversation.

'Minerva, um, oh, that does not sound right. Could I call you something else?' Minerva chuckled but nodded.

'Min, Nerva, Catti, tabby…' The older witch continues to laugh.

'We'll talk later. But now I'd like to get to know you better Hermione.' Hermione looked at her in a confused manner but decided quickly that it would be fine.

'What would you like to know?' She answered back quickly.

'Anything. Everything. What colors do you like? What's your favorite class? Things like that.' Minerva asked.

'Well, my favorite color is red. My favorite class is Transfigurations. But, what do you really want to know?'

'Oh, I guess now isn't a bad time. I was going to ask you if you would consider, consider- oh I'm supposed to be a Gryffindor-, to live here- just for the summers or things like that.'

'Really? You would do that for me? Let me live with you?' Hermione asked.

Minerva nodded in consent. 'Yes Hermione. I was thinking of… oh I don't want to say this too soon. It might not be…' She stopped, searching for words.

'Please continue. I'd love to live with you.'

'Adoption.' The witch said uncertainly.

'Adoption?' The younger spoke softly.

'Yes'

'When?' Minerva laughed. 'You really want to be adopted by me? I would have thought Molly would have been your first choice.' Hermione shook her head.

'No. Mrs. Weasley is kind and caring but Ron is my friend. And I'd like you better for a mum.'

'Mum. I've never been called that before. When I was growing up, I spoke only Gaelic. The word mother is mathair.' Minerva said dreamily.

'You're not a mother?'

'No, No. I never could conceive. Albus and I think our students as our children.'

'You and Professor Dumbledore? Oh, yeah, that's right.' The Deputy Headmistress laughed.

'I can't wait mathair.' Hermione said. 'And that fits.'


End file.
